Tifos are a huge undertaking for fan volunteers

Putting on a good show is rarely cheap, and 33-year-old Eric Kekeis, a metallurgist from Highland, Ind., said creating tifos for the Chicago Fire and Section 8 is no different.

"Everybody that doesn't deal with this doesn't realize the amount of money that goes in there," Kekeis said. "If you want to do two sections of an overhead, you're talking almost $2,000-$2,500 for the fabric alone. That ain't counting your paint."

He and a handful of others will spend hours cutting, sewing and painting fabric, hoping to create an experience that will keep people talking long after the game.

"You don't always have to have a big display to be good, what you need to make your section look like is a party area, to make it look like it's a fun place to be at," he said.

So at the end of the day, are all the hours of free time and money they invest creating these displays worth it?

"Absolutely," he said emphatically. "For me it's something and for the majority of fans here that they love to do. If you're really committed to the team, this is something that you want to do."